Smyrna times., 1887-03-30
The New M. E PASTOR

Wv w. p hODluSOu, VINO was an
pointed at the late session of the Will
mington Conference as pastor of AS
bury M. E. Church of this town. was
greeted on Sunday morning by a pack
ed house to her his initial sermon.
which was pronounced by those who
listened with critical ear to be a dis
course gilmore than usual ability. His
text was from Galatians, 5th chapter
lst verse: Stand fast therefore in the
liberty whereWith Christ has made us
free, and be not entangled again with
the yoke of bondage"
His theme was "The Freedom which
tne coming OF Christ had brought to
the human race" The subject was
treated in the broadest sense from a
theological and scholarly stand point.
starting with Liberty and what it i'm
plieds as the initial point, passing from
liberty as understood in its individual
and civil aspect to that liberty that
must of necessity be circumscribed bv
lazy, making strong application of the
text in showing that the sinner in
throwing of the yoke of bondage to
his sinful appetites and passions. and
accepting Christ and his doctrines en-
tered upon a life that brought the
largest liberty. He said that Christ
was the first teacher that taught
humanity and the brotherhood of men.
Even the most refined of the heather
nations, the Greeks and Romans had
no higher idea of existence than mas
terry on the one hand and slavery on
the other, and their Gods were gods of
vengence. The Jews, the only nation
that had any idea of the true God. mn
to the coming of Christ saw him onlv
IN his judicial aspect as the "God of
justice, ,"who dealt with man with rioor-
Gus hand. Christ, as God revealed to
man, came and walked with them. shar-
ing their sorrows, bearing their woes and
hnally giving his own life as the ran
som for their redemption from the pen
alties OF the broken law. The Jews re-
Jected him because they could not un-
derstand the new and exalted relation
ship which he established between God
and man. Their idea of the " Kingdom
OF God was prince that should ex-
alt the jews in power over all nations
Ihe condition of the human race had
been slowly but steadily growing from
the beginning, and the Messiah was
not sent before because the world was
not ready to receive him. The Greeks
could not understand Socrates. and he
pad the penalty for being in advance
OF his people by the sacrifice of his life.
Columbus wandered from one court To
another in Europe for seventeen wears
before he could find one who wonId
listen to his idea that there was anoth-
er continent beyond the sea Gallileo
had to recant before the powers of the
inqulsition or suffer the penalties of a
hereto for teaching the solar system
and even two hundred years ago Eng.
land imprisoned John Bunyan because
In the spiritual life he led he was ahead
OF his times.
All the progress that had been made
in the world was in those nations where
the spirit of Christianity prevailed, be-
cause it brought not only virtue but in
spired hope and courage for the future
Art, science, literature, hospitals
asylums, &c, had advanced in human.
izlng society in proportion to the prin.
clples evolved in establishing the chris
tlan faith, while those nations living
without the light of the gospel had
made no advancement. There was q
time when all Europe was in constant
dread OF being Overrun by the heather
hords-the Goths and Vandals. Sara
Genes, &c,, but now q single nation such
as IS the case with England, held a
large part of the heather world in sub
lection.
The discourse of about fifty minutes
contained many fine points and elabor-
ations of thought in the enforcement of
the text that the largest liberty. the
greatest mental and moral deyelon-
ment, the greatest advancement in the
physical sciences, the most hannv
homes and the freest and purest ipdi-
vidual lives would result in fully ac-
cepting Christ and his precepts as the
rule and object of our existence.
Before singing the concluding hvmn
he noted the fact of the relations that
existed between him and the conyreoa-
ton upon which he was lust ENTERING
That he desired in serving them in the
capacity Of pastor to do it in the best
manner possible for their spiritual good
that he wanted to rejoice with those
who rejoiced and weep with those tbat
so as far as possible, they
should be bound together in perfect
bond of christian union. After the
oenediction and while the mass of peo-
pie were passing out, the leading mem
Oership crowded around the chancel
and gave their new pastor a cordial |
greeting.